Contract Marriage With Alpha Snow novel Chapter 72

Chapter 72: Peptalk

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Chapter 72

~Snow’s POV~

The silence that followed was deafening. Aira left the dining hall, her head bowed, tears streaming down her cheeks.

Tempest followed suit as she stormed out after Aira. I remained in my seat, watching them leave, feeling the knot in my chest tighten. It was always the same between them, but this time, it felt heavier—like there was something neither of them was saying, but both of them felt.

"Well," my father finally spoke, his voice breaking the silence as he gently tapped on his lips with his napkin. "That went... well."

My mother sighed, her fingers tightening on her cutlery. Her fingers tightened on her cutlery as her eyes filled with concern, her gaze lingering on the empty seats where her daughters had sat.

"It’s been hard on Aira. I just hope one day she’ll realize her worth."

I nodded absentmindedly, my thoughts elsewhere. My hand instinctively sought out Zara’s under the table, needing some kind of reassurance—something to ground me in the chaos.

I squeezed her hand gently, hoping to convey some of the comfort I couldn’t say out loud. But then she pulled her hand away slowly and focused on her plate.

The slight movement felt like a punch to the gut. I froze, staring at her for a moment longer, a rush of emotions swirling through me—confusion, disappointment, and something else I didn’t want to name.

Why had she reacted that way?

I noticed since she went to the bathroom that her mood had changed but but dismissed it as mere fatigue. Was it my sisters?

No. It was more than that. I tried to reach out to her again but halted midway.

I masked my reaction, quickly locking those feelings away. I couldn’t afford to let this get to me. All we had was a contract, nothing more, and I’d made a mistake—opening up a part of myself to her that I should have kept guarded.

"You’re such an idiot, Snow," I told myself bitterly as I shifted in my seat, my face falling back into its usual neutral mask.

This wasn’t supposed to be complicated. This wasn’t supposed to be about feelings. It never was. Inhaling, I focused on something else.

My father sipped his coffee, his face thoughtful, while watching the scene unfold around us.

The awkwardness from earlier still lingered, but everyone was doing their best to move past it. Small talk filled the silence.